Occupy London
Encyclopedia
Occupy London is an ongoing peaceful protest and demonstration
against economic inequality
, the lack of affordability of housing in the United Kingdom
, social injustice
, corporate greed and the influence of companies and lobbyists
on government taking place in London
, United Kingdom
, which started on 15 October 2011. The protests began in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street
protests in New York, United States. In October protesters established two encampments in central London
: one outside St Paul's Cathedral
in the City of London
and the other in Finsbury Square
just to the north of the City. In November a third major site was opened in a disused office complex owned by UBS. Named by protestors as the Bank of Ideas, the site is located in Hackney
.
The Occupy London protests are backed by the tax avoidance protest group UK Uncut
.
for protests to take place at the London Stock Exchange
on 15 October in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street
protests in New York and with multiple other protests planned worldwide for that day.
in Paternoster Square
was the initial target for the protesters on 15 October. Attempts to occupy the square were thwarted by police. Police sealed off the entrance to the square as it was private property, a High Court injunction had been granted against public access to the square. 2,500-3,000 people gathered nearby outside St Paul's Cathedral
, with around 250 camping overnight. Mid-afternoon on the 15th Julian Assange
, the founder of Wikileaks
, gave an impromptu speech to the protesters on the topic of anonymity after he was challenged by police for wearing a mask as he walked to the protest. On the Sunday morning the canon
of St. Paul's, Reverend Giles Fraser
, asked the police to leave the cathedral steps, saying he was happy for people to "exercise their right to protest peacefully" outside the cathedral.
By 17 October an encampment of around 150 tents together with makeshift tarpaulin shelters was clustered around the west side of St Paul's Cathedral. On the 17th the Occupy London protesters issued a nine-point 'Initial Statement' drafted by "an assembly of over 500 people on the steps of St Paul's [Cathedral]". On 21 October, the Dean of St Paul's announced that the cathedral would be closing until further notice as a result of the Occupy London camp pitched outside, and asked the protesters to leave the vicinity of the building "so that the cathedral can reopen as soon as possible". On the evening of the 21st it was reported that the protesters had decided that they would remain in their encampment outside the cathedral, and that they believed that they could not be lawfully removed from the site without a court order.
On 22 October the protesters established a second camp in Finsbury Square
, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington
.
On 26 October it was reported that the Dean of St Paul's had decided that the cathedral would reopen on 28 October, following the resolution of all health and safety concerns. The move was described as an "embarrassing U-turn" by the British national newspaper The Daily Telegraph
.
On 27 October Dr Giles Fraser
resigned as Canon Chancellor of St Paul's
over disagreements on the handling of the demonstrators, saying "I resigned because I believe that the chapter has set on a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church."
The 28th saw the resignation of the part-time Chaplain of St Paul's Fraser Dyer.
Graeme Knowles the Dean of St Paul's
resigned following the backlash against his Chapter's resolution to forcibly evict the Occupy London
protesters from outside the cathedral. The City of London Corporation proceeded to take legal action against the camp at St Pauls, without support from the Cathedral. Canary Wharf Group
took legal action on the 3rd, against protesters attempting to Occupy Docklands.
In early November,Ed Milliband the UK Leader of the Opposition said that mainstream politicians should listen to the occupiers, though he also stated that protestors should not to allowed to control the discussion.
On 18th November, protestors took over a disused office complex owned by the bank UBS, located in the London borough of Hackney. The site was opened to the pubic the following day as the Bank of Ideas, and provides free services including a library, seminars and various discussion related events.
On 28th November protestors at the Hackney site vowed to contest attempts by lawyers to have them evicted.
On 30th November, public sector strikers broke into Penton House in Central London, and were wrongly reported to be Occupy protesters.
by wealthy corporations.
and The Daily Telegraph
, subsequently videoed the camp using thermal imaging equipment, which they claimed confirmed that only around 10% of the tents were occupied all night.
The claims were disputed by the protesters and other journalists, who noted that most protesters did not go to sleep at the time of the day when the images were taken, and thermal imaging produces inaccurate results when used on insulative material like those of the tents. The protesters recorded and published videos using the same thermal camera to demonstrate this, and lodged a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission
regarding the claims. They also mentioned that many of them are 'ordinary people with jobs and families' and therefore cannot be present on site at all times.
The techniques used by the newspapers were subsequently criticised as "rubbish science" by a military scientist, according to reports in The Guardian
, although the source asked to remain anonymous.
On 11/11/2011 police arrested 170 EDL
members on Armistice Day when intelligence revealed EDL members planned to attack campers at St Paul's Cathedral.
Other protests
Related articles
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
against economic inequality
Economic inequality
Economic inequality comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries. The issue of economic inequality is related to the ideas of...
, the lack of affordability of housing in the United Kingdom
Affordability of housing in the United Kingdom
The affordability of housing in the United Kingdom deteriorated significantly from the late 1990s onwards, with house prices rising faster than earnings and the average age of first-time homebuyers increasing...
, social injustice
Social injustice
Social injustice is a concept relating to the claimed unfairness or injustice of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities...
, corporate greed and the influence of companies and lobbyists
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
on government taking place in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which started on 15 October 2011. The protests began in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
protests in New York, United States. In October protesters established two encampments in central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
: one outside St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and the other in Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square is a square in central London. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the east of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the parish of St Luke's and near Moorfields. It is sited on the east side of City Road, opposite the east side of Bunhill Fields....
just to the north of the City. In November a third major site was opened in a disused office complex owned by UBS. Named by protestors as the Bank of Ideas, the site is located in Hackney
Hackney
-Places:* London Borough of Hackney, formed in 1965** Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, formed in 1900 and abolished in 1965** Hackney Central** Hackney Central , a political division of the Council** Hackney Central railway station** Hackney College...
.
The Occupy London protests are backed by the tax avoidance protest group UK Uncut
UK Uncut
UK Uncut is a United Kingdom-based protest group established in October 2010 to protest against tax avoidance in the UK and to raise awareness about cuts to public services. Various sources have described the group as left-wing in its political orientation...
.
Chronology of events
On 10 October 2011 a campaign was launched on FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
for protests to take place at the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
on 15 October in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
protests in New York and with multiple other protests planned worldwide for that day.
October 2011
The London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in Paternoster Square
Paternoster Square
Paternoster Square is an urban development, owned by the Mitsubishi Estate Co., next to St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London, England. In 1942 the area, which takes its name from Paternoster Row, centre of the London publishing trade, was devastated by aerial bombardment in The Blitz during...
was the initial target for the protesters on 15 October. Attempts to occupy the square were thwarted by police. Police sealed off the entrance to the square as it was private property, a High Court injunction had been granted against public access to the square. 2,500-3,000 people gathered nearby outside St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, with around 250 camping overnight. Mid-afternoon on the 15th Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
, the founder of Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, gave an impromptu speech to the protesters on the topic of anonymity after he was challenged by police for wearing a mask as he walked to the protest. On the Sunday morning the canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of St. Paul's, Reverend Giles Fraser
Giles Fraser
Giles Anthony Fraser is a priest of the Church of England. He was Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral from 2009 until his resignation in October 2011. As Canon Chancellor, Fraser fulfilled the role of a canon residentiary with special responsibility for contemporary ethics and engagement with...
, asked the police to leave the cathedral steps, saying he was happy for people to "exercise their right to protest peacefully" outside the cathedral.
By 17 October an encampment of around 150 tents together with makeshift tarpaulin shelters was clustered around the west side of St Paul's Cathedral. On the 17th the Occupy London protesters issued a nine-point 'Initial Statement' drafted by "an assembly of over 500 people on the steps of St Paul's [Cathedral]". On 21 October, the Dean of St Paul's announced that the cathedral would be closing until further notice as a result of the Occupy London camp pitched outside, and asked the protesters to leave the vicinity of the building "so that the cathedral can reopen as soon as possible". On the evening of the 21st it was reported that the protesters had decided that they would remain in their encampment outside the cathedral, and that they believed that they could not be lawfully removed from the site without a court order.
On 22 October the protesters established a second camp in Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square is a square in central London. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the east of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the parish of St Luke's and near Moorfields. It is sited on the east side of City Road, opposite the east side of Bunhill Fields....
, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
.
On 26 October it was reported that the Dean of St Paul's had decided that the cathedral would reopen on 28 October, following the resolution of all health and safety concerns. The move was described as an "embarrassing U-turn" by the British national newspaper The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
.
On 27 October Dr Giles Fraser
Giles Fraser
Giles Anthony Fraser is a priest of the Church of England. He was Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral from 2009 until his resignation in October 2011. As Canon Chancellor, Fraser fulfilled the role of a canon residentiary with special responsibility for contemporary ethics and engagement with...
resigned as Canon Chancellor of St Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
over disagreements on the handling of the demonstrators, saying "I resigned because I believe that the chapter has set on a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church."
The 28th saw the resignation of the part-time Chaplain of St Paul's Fraser Dyer.
November 2011
On the 1st of November The Rt RevdRight Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
Graeme Knowles the Dean of St Paul's
Dean of St Paul's
The Dean of St Paul's is the head of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London, England in the Church of England. The most recent Dean, Graeme Knowles, formerly Bishop of Sodor and Man, was installed on 1 October 2007 and resigned on 31 October 2011...
resigned following the backlash against his Chapter's resolution to forcibly evict the Occupy London
Occupy London
Occupy London is an ongoing peaceful protest and demonstration against economic inequality, the lack of affordability of housing in the United Kingdom, social injustice, corporate greed and the influence of companies and lobbyists on government taking place in London, United Kingdom, which started...
protesters from outside the cathedral. The City of London Corporation proceeded to take legal action against the camp at St Pauls, without support from the Cathedral. Canary Wharf Group
Canary Wharf Group
Canary Wharf Group plc is the owner and developer of nearly of property at Canary Wharf in London. It is notable because over the last 10 years it has constructed more office space in London than any other developer...
took legal action on the 3rd, against protesters attempting to Occupy Docklands.
In early November,Ed Milliband the UK Leader of the Opposition said that mainstream politicians should listen to the occupiers, though he also stated that protestors should not to allowed to control the discussion.
On 18th November, protestors took over a disused office complex owned by the bank UBS, located in the London borough of Hackney. The site was opened to the pubic the following day as the Bank of Ideas, and provides free services including a library, seminars and various discussion related events.
On 28th November protestors at the Hackney site vowed to contest attempts by lawyers to have them evicted.
On 30th November, public sector strikers broke into Penton House in Central London, and were wrongly reported to be Occupy protesters.
Initial statement
On 16 October, the Occupy London protesters issued the following 'Initial Statement':- The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.
- We are of all ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, generations, sexualities dis/abilities and faiths. We stand together with occupations all over the world.
- We refuse to pay for the banks’ crisis.
- We do not accept the cuts as either necessary or inevitable. We demand an end to global tax injustice and our democracy representing corporations instead of the people.
- We want regulators to be genuinely independent of the industries they regulate.
- We support the strike on the 30th November and the student action on the 9th November, and actions to defend our health services, welfare, education and employment, and to stop wars and arms dealing.
- We want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.
First statement on Corporations
On November 29th the London Occupy movement released their first statement on Corporations, where they called for measures to end Tax evasionTax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
by wealthy corporations.
Overnight occupancy
In the week beginning 24 October a number of British national newspapers reported that footage from a thermal imaging camera shot by a police helicopter revealed that only around 10% of the tents at the Occupy London camp outside St Paul's were occupied all night. The protesters disputed these claims and the City of London Police later confirmed that neither the details of the thermal imaging cameras nor the occupancy estimates had come from them. Two British national newspapers, the Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, subsequently videoed the camp using thermal imaging equipment, which they claimed confirmed that only around 10% of the tents were occupied all night.
The claims were disputed by the protesters and other journalists, who noted that most protesters did not go to sleep at the time of the day when the images were taken, and thermal imaging produces inaccurate results when used on insulative material like those of the tents. The protesters recorded and published videos using the same thermal camera to demonstrate this, and lodged a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission is a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC is funded by the annual levy it charges newspapers and magazines...
regarding the claims. They also mentioned that many of them are 'ordinary people with jobs and families' and therefore cannot be present on site at all times.
The techniques used by the newspapers were subsequently criticised as "rubbish science" by a military scientist, according to reports in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, although the source asked to remain anonymous.
On 11/11/2011 police arrested 170 EDL
English Defence League
The English Defence League is a far-right street protest movement which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in the UK. The EDL uses street marches to protest against Islamic extremism...
members on Armistice Day when intelligence revealed EDL members planned to attack campers at St Paul's Cathedral.
See also
Occupy articles- List of global Occupy movement protest locations
- "Occupy" protests
- Timeline of Occupy Wall StreetTimeline of Occupy Wall StreetThe following is a timeline of Occupy Wall Street which began on Saturday, September 17, 2011 as an occupation of Wall Street, the financial district of New York City and is an ongoing demonstration....
- We are the 99%
Other protests
- 15 October 2011 global protests15 October 2011 global protestsThe 15 October 2011 global protests were part of a series of protests inspired by the Arab Spring, the Spanish "Indignants", the Greek Protests and the Occupy movement. Global demonstrations were held on October 15 in more than 950 cities 82 countries. The date was chosen to coincide with the 5...
- 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protestsThe 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests were a series of anti-austerity protests that took place in the United Kingdom in early 2011...
- 2010 UK student protests2010 UK student protestsThe 2010 UK student protests were a series of demonstrations that began in November 2010 in several areas of the United Kingdom, with the focal point of protests centred in London. The initial event was the largest student protest in the UK since the Labour government first proposed the Teaching...
- 2011 United States public employee protests2011 United States public employee protestsIn February 2011, a series of public employee protests began in the United States against proposed legislation which would weaken the power of labor unions. By March, eighteen states had proposed legislation which would remove some collective bargaining powers from unions, along with another five...
- 2011 Wisconsin protests2011 Wisconsin protestsThe 2011 Wisconsin protests were a series of demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States beginning in February involving at its zenith as many as 100,000 protestors opposing the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill. Subsequently, anti-tax activists and other conservatives, including tea...
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